‘No McCabe mentions’ on Taylor computer
A COMPUTER expert supplied with 33 key words including ‘McCabe, Cabe, whistleblower, rat and child abuse’, failed to find any reference to Garda whistleblower Sergeant Maurice McCabe on a computer used by then press officer Superintendent David Taylor, the Disclosures Tribunal heard.
The Disclosures Tribunal supplied the key words to the Forensic Service of Northern Ireland to check if Mr Taylor had been writing documents or emails about Sergeant McCabe, who was then facing false allegations of child abuse. Mr Taylor has claimed former Garda Commissioner Martin Callinan instructed him to brief negatively against Sergeant McCabe.
Mark McConnell of the FSNI said he examined a laptop used by Mr Taylor during his time as press officer, using the keyword list.
No evidence was found to support Mr Taylor’s allegation that he was instructed to smear Sergeant McCabe in briefings to the media.
Superintendent Taylor did not have access to his Garda email account on the laptop, the tribunal heard. A search of an image of the computer hard drive also yielded negative results.
A computer used by Mr Callinan, and purchased from Garda HQ on his retirement, was wiped and reset to factory settings on April 4, 2014, in accordance with Garda protocol. No data before that date was available, Mr McConnell said.
He also examined computer systems at Garda HQ, including the Garda Pulse system. One system which holds Garda correspondence, contained two ‘potentially relevant’ files relating to Sergeant McCabe, but neither was about briefing negatively, Mr McConnell said.
The tribunal continues.